All the speculation about Jon Gruden possibly returning to coach in the NFL was squashed Monday night, when ESPN announced he signed a multi-year contract extension to remain at the network.

ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico made the announcement during halftime of the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints game. Tirico said that the deal will keep Gruden "out of coaching."

Gruden's deal as ESPN’s analyst for "Monday Night Football" runs through the 2021 NFL season, the same year ESPN's NFL rights deal expires.

Gruden recently left the door open about a possible return to the sidelines, sparking rumors that he could be headed to several NFL teams that would be searching for a coach in 2015.

The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers were atop that list. The Miami Dolphins were thrown into the mix as coach Joe Philbin has been under fire after another late-season slide. The Dolphins (7-7) are headed for their sixth consecutive non-playoff season.

He buttoned his jacket against the cold, turned left down a hallway with his entourage, and shook his head when asked...

"Being a part of Monday Night Football alongside our ESPN crew is a dream job," said Gruden. “I love calling big prime-time games every week and spending time with the best players and coaches on the planet, while also finding new ways to teach and talk about football year round. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

With his new deal in place, Gruden won't be eligible to coach again until 2022, when he will be 59. By then, he will have been away from coaching since 2008.

Gruden, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in 2002, also appears on other ESPN programs.